1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a "version-up" method and system for a multiprocessor system, or the like, having a plurality of processors connected thereto, to form a network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, such a version-up of software and hardware has often been made in a computer system having a multiprocessor configuration of a plurality of processors connected to a network system. The conventional version-up techniques have usually had to stop the entire system even if it is only made for a part of a processor of the system. A computer system of a single processor configuration cannot have the version-up unless the entire system is stopped.
Even if the computer system of a multiprocessor configuration is not entirely stopped, parts of the features of processors have been requested to stop if being only somewhat related to the processor that is to be made version-up. If the version-us was to be made for a processor related to processes, such as an inter-process communication and file access, for example, we also have had to request processors other than the one to be made the version-up to stop part of their functions.
For the version-up of hardware and an operating system, we have had to stop processes running in processors to be made the version-up, and the files therefor could not be used.
In any case, the version-up has been conventionally made by stopping all or part of the resources in the system.
With the prior art systems, a user of the computer system has had his or her work interrupted, and once interrupted for a long period of time since version-up has been made by stopping all or part of the resources. In other words, the prior art systems did not take into account that the resources in the system should be effectively used during the version-up. They also did not take into consideration that the user should continue the computer work during the version-up. This limited or inhibited the user's work during the version-up.
Thus, the version-up was accomplished by limiting or stopping the user's work or during the time while the user was not running the system, for example, during night or holiday. This was inconvenient for a superuser who is allowed to make the version-ups, such as a system manager, and for the user who wished to do the work. It was very inadequate for efficient use of the resources of the system.
Further, it is also undesirable to use the prior art version-up method as it would cause a system-down in a system that is required to run all day long without stopping.